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Mathys Tel also produced his best display of the season in a gritty win

Improving: Xavi Simons

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Matt Verri

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Your matchday briefing on Tottenham, featuring team news and expert analysis from Matt Verri

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Tottenham went into the international break on a high with a 2-1 win over Leeds at Elland Road.

After a strong recent record of coming from behind, Spurs took the lead here through Mathys Tel as a deflected strike opened his account for the season.

Leeds hit back before the break through Noah Okafor, but Mohammed Kudus got his first goal in a Spurs shirt in the second half to earn Thomas Frank’s side all three points.

It is the first time in two years that Spurs have won the match immediately before an international break.

Here’s how Standard Sport rated the Spurs players at Elland Road...

Guglielmo Vicario 6

Set a nervy tone when getting nowhere near an early cross. Parried ball into Okafor’s path for equaliser, but good save with his feet to deny Dominic Calvert-Lewin and strong hand in stoppage-time to keep Joel Piroe’s strike out.

Pedro Porro 4

Ran ragged at times by Okafor, who had the beating of him from the opening minutes. As vulnerable in defence as he’s looked this season and poor in attack too.

Cristian Romero 6

Maybe relished an increasingly hostile atmosphere too much, squaring up to Okafor in the second half. Some strange decisions to charge up the pitch and leave Spurs exposed.

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Micky van de Ven 7

Overall had the pace and strength to match Dominic Calvert-Lewin. A couple of unconvincing moments but solid enough as ever.

Destiny Udogie 7

A real threat down the left wing and linked up nicely with forward players. Deserved better with a couple of balls flashed across the face of goal.

Joao Palhinha 5

Slightly off the pace. Booked for a rash challenge and was loose on the ball. Didn’t quite provide the usual stability in front of the defence.

Rodrigo Bentancur 7

Crucial foot in to start move for Tel’s goal and provided good cover when Porro was struggling. Place in the side has been questioned really but he was important here.

Mohammed Kudus 8

A menace for the Leeds defenders, despite bad first-half miss. So strong and powerful and got his first goal for the club with a deflected strike. Feels like Spurs’ most important attacker.

Xavi Simons 7

Looked much sharper than he has in recent matches. Relished the freedom in a central role, some bright moments without really taking control as he threatened to.

Wilson Odobert 7

Confidence appears to be returning for the Frenchman. Drove positively with the ball and thrived with Simons and Tel to combine with. Deserves to keep place on the left.

Mathys Tel 8

His best performance for a long time. Got his goal with a deflected strike, denied a second by the bar. Linked the play well in a top striker’s display.

Substitutes:

Richarlison (Simons 73’) 5

Didn’t hold the ball up well enough after coming on, but forced a corner to tick away seconds with decent late effort.

Pape Matar Sarr (Tel 73’) 6

Little to do on the ball but provided energy in midfield as Leeds pushed.

Kevin Danso (Odobert 84’) N/A

Brennan Johnson (Kudus 90’) N/A

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More than 850 people have donated towards a review of the football academy in Whitewebbs Park, Enfield

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A crowdfunded bid to block the building of a new training ground on Green Belt land for Tottenham Hotspur’s women’s team is nearing its £30,000 target.

More than 850 supporters have donated to the cost of seeking a High Court review of Enfield council’s decision to allow Spurs to build a “football academy” for women and girls in Whitewebbs Park, Enfield.

Campaign leaders said the success of the fundraising campaign showed there was “widespread support for saving our beautiful park - both locally and further afield”.

They hope that no development will take place until the court has the chance to review the case.

A spokeswoman for the Guardians of Whitewebbs campaign group said: “The amount raised means we can proceed as long as we are granted a ‘costs cap’, which limits the amount of costs we would have to pay if we lost.

“It's great news that locals can hold Enfield council to account when it comes to fencing off and building on vital green space in our park.

“What has been amazing is that 850 people have made donations, which shows the community is really on our side on this.”

Lawyers acting for the Guardians of Whitewebbs have already submitted a request for a judicial review.

To have a chance of victory, they have to prove that the council misled its own councillors when they granted permission, or that it acted irrationally.

The case will only proceed to a full hearing in open court if a judge decides that the campaigners have an “arguable” case.

“We have faith we can achieve a fair result,” the Guardians spokeswoman said. “The decision to allow a private company to enclose and develop part of this beautiful public park needs to be challenged.

“It's not acceptable for us to lose public parkland to private interests. We are working with a talented team at the Public Interest Law Centre and we will do everything in our power to have the decision overturned.”

An Enfield Council spokesperson said: “Enfield Council is confident that proper legal processes and procedures have been followed in the determination of the planning application and will vigorously defend the judicial review.”

It the latest twist in the battle to prevent the construction of the training ground.

Last year, the campaigners failed to overturn the granting of a 25-year lease on the parkland, for which Spurs paid the council £2 million.

With the crowdfunding appeal closing in two days, almost £28,000 had been raised towards the £30,000 “stretch target” to ensure all legal costs of bringing the case are covered.

Enfield council granted Spurs permission for the development in February. Planning consent was ratified in July when Jules Pipe, Sir Sadiq Khan’s deputy mayor for planning, declined to intervene.

At the time, a City Hall spokesperson said “while the proposal represents inappropriate development on the green belt, very special circumstances have been demonstrated”.

The plans had been described as a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” by Spurs striker Bethany England, who said the facilities would allow the club to compete with the top teams in the Women’s Super League – Chelsea, Arsenal, Man Utd and Man City.

But campaigners said there was no reason for Spurs not to allow its women’s squad to use its existing training ground in Enfield that is used by its men’s team.

The development will involve the loss of 40 acres of rewilded grassland and the felling of over 200 trees. The campaign is being backed by organisations including CPRE London, which opposes the sell-off of green spaces to professional sports clubs.

A Spurs spokesperson told the Standard earlier this year: “We are delighted that Enfield Council’s Planning Committee has voted to approve our proposals. This is a special site and one we know extremely well being based next door. Our proposals will secure its future with a green use and ensure it remains an open and inclusive place for local people to enjoy.

“We shall improve local access to nature and habitats, provide new facilities for visitors, community groups, and sports clubs, and put Enfield on the map as a champion of the Women’s and Girls’ game with a best-in-class Academy.

“We should like to thank all those who have engaged with us over the past few years and we shall now work with Enfield Council to conclude the necessary legal agreements. We shall of course continue to keep our local community updated on our next steps.”

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The England international has not played for Spurs since appearing as a late substitute in the 2-0 win over Manchester City in the Premier League in August due to a lingering ankle issue sustained during pre-season.

Solanke’s attempted recovery has proven a slow and frustrating process, with a comeback to training a fortnight ago not leading to the desired return to match action as his pain remained.

Instead, the 28-year-old underwent minor surgery earlier this week in a bid to finally correct the problem, ruling him out of Tuesday’s Champions League draw with Bodo/Glimt in Norway and Saturday’s trip to Leeds in the top-flight.

Tottenham boss Thomas Frank said they would discover more on a potential new time frame for Solanke’s return after the forthcoming October international break, but that he did not expect him to be sidelined for long.

Frank also defended Spurs’ handling of the injury after being asked if the club had effectively wasted a month of Solanke’s recovery by not electing for surgery earlier.

“I think if you can look from two ways,” Frank said ahead of the 2-2 comeback draw with Bodo/Glimt. “That's the easy answer, but it's not that easy.

“If we knew we could have done the surgery a month ago, we probably would have done it.

“So for me, I'm always like I imagine, ‘oh, it is what it is, we deal from now’. No doubt that the way we dealt with this is because we thought this was the right way because I think in general, no one wants a surgery, no matter how small it is.”

Now Solanke has issued his own update on his protracted injury saga, writing on his Instagram story on Wednesday night that the operation had been a success and that he hoped to return to contention for Spurs “in the very near future”.

“The last few months have been very frustrating as I’ve tried everything possible to try and push through my ankle issue before taking the option of surgery.

“None of this managed to solve the problem, so we had to go ahead with minor surgery which I underwent this morning.

“It was all successful so hopefully I’ll be back on the pitch in the very near future. Thank you for all your love and messages.”

Solanke joined Tottenham from Premier League rivals Bournemouth in a £65million deal in the summer of 2024, going on to score 16 goals in 48 appearances across all competitions so far.

Tough trip: Leeds vs Tottenham

ES Composite

Oli Gent

COMMENTS

Your matchday briefing on Tottenham, featuring team news and expert analysis from Matt Verri

I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice.

Tottenham travel to Leeds this weekend hoping to return to winning ways after two consecutive draws in the Premier League.

That record extends to three draws in their last four in all competitions, after Thomas Frank’s side had to come from behind to snatch a point in the Arctic Circle in a 2-2 stalemate against Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League.

Spurs drew 2-2 with Brighton before being held 1-1 by Wolves, where Joao Palhinha scored a last-minute equaliser at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Leeds, meanwhile, are coming off the back of a win and a draw in their last two outings, beating Wolves 3-1 at Molineux before earning a solid point against Bournemouth.

Daniel Farke’s side sit 12th in the Premier League table, with Spurs in fourth.

Date, kick-off time and venue

Leeds vs Tottenham is scheduled for a 12.30pm BST kick off on Saturday October 4, 2025.

The match will take place at Elland Road.

Where to watch Leeds vs Tottenham

TV channel: You can watch this game live on TNT Sports 1, with coverage starting at 11.30am ahead of the 12.30pm kick off.

Live stream: TNT Sports subscribers can also catch the contest live online via the Discovery+ app and website.

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Leeds vs Tottenham team news

Dominic Solanke is the most high-profile absentee for Spurs after Thomas Frank ruled him out of the north Londoners’ trip to Norway, and it seems as though he won’t travel to Yorkshire either.

The striker is still struggling with an ankle injury that has plagued his start to the campaign.

Elsewhere, James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, Radu Dragusin, Kota Takai, and Yves Bissouma are the longer-term absentees, but there could be a boost for Spurs with the return of new striker Randal Kolo Muani from a dead leg.

As for Leeds, they have three injury concerns. First-choice goalkeeper Lucas Perri is out until after the international break with a thigh issue, while wingers Wilfried Gnonto and Daniel James are sidelined with calf and ankle injuries respectively.

Leeds vs Tottenham prediction

Even with their injury problems, you would expect Tottenham to take three points here, but they have looked disjointed in attack in recent weeks.

New star signing Xavi Simons hasn’t fully convinced in his first few games as he acclimatises to English football, and he was dropped to the bench for the trip to Norway in midweek.

However, the Dutchman and fellow new recruit Mohammed Kudus were called upon to dig the north Londoners out of the hole they found themselves in in the Arctic Circle.

Leeds are a dangerous opponent - especially at home - and have their own threats, like Noah Okafor and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who seems to have hit some form since his arrival from Everton.

Draw, 1-1.

Head to head (h2h) history and results

Leeds wins: 33

Tottenham wins: 41

Draws: 29

Leeds vs Tottenham match odds

Leeds to win: 9/5

Tottenham to win: 8/5

Draw: 5/2

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Thomas Frank has confirmed that Micky van de Ven will be part of Tottenham’s leadership group this season.

The Dutchman captained Spurs for the first time on Tuesday night in the 2-2 draw with Bodo/Glimt and marked it with a goal, heading in to halve the deficit as the visitors came from two goals down to earn a point in Norway.

Van de Ven took the armband as a result of Cristian Romero missing out, with Frank insisting the decision to leave the Argentine in London was only a “precaution”.

The Spurs boss said at the start of the season that he would name a leadership group at the end of the transfer window, but that decision has been delayed due to other priorities.

Frank has regularly been asked about it in recent press conferences and it was brought up again after the draw with Bodo/Glimt, when the Dane was quizzed on whether Van de Ven being named as captain offered a hint that he would be included.

“Yes, I have made a decision. I haven't told the players yet, and that will be on Thursday. So I made the decision, but it's probably pretty obvious he will be.

“He has impressed me a lot as a player, but also as a communicator on the pitch. And a little bit of show of character. I think he was good today.”

Son is no longer at the club and Maddison is expected to miss most of the season with an ACL injury.